Means for installing concrete well casings



' June 25,- 1963 R. H. RASMUSSEN 3,095,041

MEANS FOR INSTALLING CONCRETE WELL CASINGS Original Filed Sept. 26, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M INVBNTOR.

\QOW I 72 June 25, 1963 R. H. RASMUSSEN MEANS FOR INSTALLING CONCRETE WELL CASINGS Original Filed Sept. 26, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Paten F 3,095,041 MEANS FOR INSTALLING CONCRETE WELL CASINGS Ross H. Rasmussen, Hooper, Nebr. Continuation of application Ser. No. 686,376, Sept. 26, 1957. This application Nov. 17, 1959, Ser. No. 853,478 2 Claims. (Cl. 166-235) This invention relates to concrete well casings and more particularly to a methodand means for installing concrete well casings.

Heretofore concrete well casings of standard construction have been, of course, of cylindrical shape having two diametrically opposed longitudinal holes extending through the side walls thereof. Cables are run through the holes and are used to keep the casings in alignment as they are being lowered in the well shaft.

The cables are held taut by cable stretchers and block and tackle depending from an overhead beam or frame, whereby each time a new casing is threaded on the cables before lowering it is necessary that the cable be blocked off and clamped at ground level to insure that the cables do not become slack and then the upper portions of the cables need be released from the cable stretcher and threaded through the respective holes in the succeeding casing. The cable ends are then replaced in the cable stretcher and the slack is taken out of the cables. The clamps are removed and the casing lowered.

The holes in the walls of a well casing unit of standard construction receive the aligning cables slidably therethrough and serve to keep the casing unit properly positioned as it is lowered into the well shaft and to assure correct seating upon a previously lowered unit. But each time a succeeding unit is threaded upon the cables,

the cables must be blocked and clamped at ground level and the upper ends of the cables loosened from the stretchers with the attending danger that the cables may be mis-aligned or slackened which can cause mis-align- 'ment and binding as the unit is lowered.

It is necessary to use precision in forming the units of the standard construction to assure perfect alignment of the cable receiving holes and additional labor is necessary to rod the holes to insure that they are open after forming. Sometimes the units are delivered to the jobsite with obstructed cable openings whereby it is necessary to assign a man to check and clean all openings.

Additional labor is needed at the job-site for handling lowering equipment, blocking and clamping the cables at ground level and threading a unit on the cables at each lowering with the attending danger that inexperienced personnel may cause a (faulty installation.

It is therefore a primary object of my invention in providing a method and means for installing concrete well casing units to eliminate the said 'difficulties wherein the guide or aligning cables remain taut and undisturbed at all times. v

A further object is to provide a concrete well casing unit in combination with eye hooks insertable through openings formed in the side walls thereof and which extend outwardly therefrom to engage about the guide cables.

Another object is to provide a method and means for installing concrete well casing units which eliminates the 3,095,041 Patented June 25, 1963 necessity of excessive and expensive skilled labor and wherein even unskilled labor may install a faultless well casing.

A further object of the method and means for installing well casing units of my invention is to provide a well casing unit the forming of which is of less precision and consequently more economical in manufacture.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a method for installing concrete well casing units which allows a faster installation than heretofore with noloss of accuracy.

This is a continuation of applicants co-pending patent application, Serial No. 686,376, filed September 26, 1957,

\ invention not being limited to the drawings themselves as the drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating a way in which the principles of this invention can be applied.

Other embodiments of the invention utilizing the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the :art without-departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic representation of a well illustrating the method and means for installing concrete well casing units of my invention;

FIGURE 2 isa perspective view of one of the cable engaging eye hooks which is a part of my invention;

FIGURE 3 is an end view of a concrete well casing unit with :a part broken away" and shown in section to reveal the disposition of one of the cable engaging eye hooks;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the well casing unit taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3 showing the eye hook opening formed in the casing; e

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal section taken along the line 55 of FIGURE 4 showing the eye hook openings of the well casing unit and eye hooks disposed therein in two positions of installation, the well casing unit is broken away for convenience of illustration;

FIGURE6 is a perspective View of a well casing uni having the eye hooks in operation position engaged about the cables as would be installation of the well casing unit into a well shaft; 7 V l FIGURE 7 is an end view of a modified well casing unit of my invention with parts broken away to reveal the disposition of one pair of cable engaging eye hooks; FIGURE 8' is a perspectiveview. of the modified form of concrete well casing unit of my invention as would be seen'before installation; and

FIGURE 9 is substantially a longitudinal section of the modified well casing unit taken along the line 99 of FIGURE 7 showing the disposition of the cables with, respect to the casing, the casing being broken away for convenience of illustration. e

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, well casing units 10 areprovided' adapted to'be disposed one 3 above the other in vertical alignment within a well shaft 12.

A pair of guide cables 14 are suspended in the well shaft 12 to guide the lowering of the units 10 which is conventional procedure. The lower ends of the cables 14 are secured to a casing foundation or base plug 16. Installation apparatus further includes a derrick or frame '16 disposed above the well shaft 12 from which depends a pair of spaced apart block and tackle 18. A pair of cable clamps 20 are attached one on each of the lower hooks of a respective block and tackle 18.

The'base plug 16. with the lower ends of the cables 14 secured thereto is lowered into the shaft and seated at the bottom thereof. The upper free ends of the cables 14 are caught and held in the clamps 20 whereby the block and tackle '18 may be adjusted to remove slack from the cablesv 14 or stretch the cables against the resistant weight of the base plug 16 so that the cables 14 are taut and vertically parallel.

With reference to FIGURES 3 and wherein is shown a preferredform of concrete well casing unitembodying my invention, the unit is of elongated cylindrical shape having openings or slots 24 disposed transversely through the wall thereof. The slots 24 are-disposed in pairs with the slots of a pair disposed one above the other and the slots of one pair being diametrically opposed from the .slots 24 of the other pair. As best seen in FIGURE 5 the slots 24 are disposed adjacent a respective end of the unit; 22.

The inner end of each slot 24. is enlarged or countersunk as seen from its inner end and as shown in FIGURE 4 and -is preferably a circular shaped recess 30.

The slots 24 are adapted to receive securing or guiding devices or connectors or cableattachment means 32 one of which is shown in detail in FIGURE 2. Each of the connectors 32 hasanouter hook end or hook 34, an intermediate shank portion 36 and a circularly shaped base 38 fixed to its inner end.

The hook ends 34 of the connectors 32 are of greater widththan thickness and-of asize for reception through the slots 24 only when the width of the hook end '34 is disposed lengthwise of said slot whereby said hook ends 34 can-be inserted into the respective slots from the inner end thereof.

Asillustrated in FIGURE 5 the connectors 32 may be inserted throughthe slots 24 whereby the hook end 34 extends beyond the outer surface of the unit 10. The base 38 of the connector 32 is received in the recess 30 preventing -the connector 32 from passing outwardly of the slot 24.

Referring to FIGURE 3 it will be seen that when the connector 32 is passed through the slot 24 the connector may be locked in the slot by turning the hook 34 transverselyv of the-slot 24 andinto a norm-ally horizontal position.

The connectors 32 are for-med of bendable material and the hook ends 34 are adapted to receive and be closed about a respective cable 14 in a manner set forth vin the following description of operation.

A modified form of the invention is shown in FIGURES 7, 8 and 9;. The modification lies p'rnnarily in the form of concrete well casing unit designated by the numeral 22'. The unit 22 differs from the unit previously described only inthe provision of longitudinally extending channels or grooves 40 in the outer surface thereof extending from ,the top tothebottomof the unit 22'. Each of the grooves 40 adjoin va pair of slots 24 on a respective side of the unit 22.

In the end viewvof 'FIGURE 7 it will be seen that when the connectors 32 are passed through the slots 24, the hook ends 34 thereof are received in the groove 40. In the-sectional view of FIGURE 9 the hook ends 34 of the connectors 32 have been secured about the cables '14 whereby the cables 14 are disposed within the respective groove 40.

As thus described it will be seen thatthere is substantially no parts protruding beyond the outer surface of the unit 22' which, I believe, may be advantageous in some particular installations.

Operation The method and means for installing concrete well casings of my invention will become apparent from the following description when taken with FIGURE 1 of the drawings wherein the cables 14, base plug 16 are shown already disposed in the well shaft 12. Several units 10 have been lowered into the shaft 12, the first unit 10 is seated on the base plug 16 and each succeeding unit 10 seats atop the previously lowered unit 10.

The units are lowered by any suitable mobile hoist means such as tractor mounted hoist 44 shown. A lift cable 46 of the hoist has a grab (not shown) secured on the end thereof which engages the interior of the unit 10. The unit is lifted from the ground, as shown, at which time the operator may insert the connectors 32 through the slots 24 from the inner end thereof and arrange the hook end34 horizontally.

The open hook ends 34 are faced in the same direction and the unit 10 is moved into a position disposed between the cables 14 whereby each of the hook ends 34 of the connectors 32 may be engaged with the respective cables 14.

The. hookends-34 being of bendable material are closed about the cables 14 by the operator whereupon the unit 10 may be lowered into-position. 'Ihe connectors slidably secure the unit tothe cables 14 whereby the cables 14 guide the downward travel of the unit assuring proper alignment and seating of the unit with the previously lowered units.

From. the. foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a method and means for installing concrete wall casings constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use, by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason I do not wish. to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

I claim:

1. A well casing assembly comprising a pair of vertically disposed cables in diametrically opposed positions in a well, means for anchoring the cables in the bottom of the well, means for anchoring upper ends of the cables at the top of the well and at points aligned with the points where the lower ends are anchored in the bottom ofrthe well, a pluralityof vertically disposed tubular cylinders having inner and outersurfaces and'having continuous longitudinally disposed and diametrically opposite grooves in the outer surfaces of the well casing and positioned between the cables, and vertically spaced and vertically aligned eyes mounted in the cylinders and positioned, in the grooves, the eyes being spaced inwardly from the ends of the cylinders and the cables being disposed through the eyes and positioned in the grooves whereby the cables are not subject to being pinched or broken by the cylinders rubbing against the well wall.

2. A well casing assembly comprising a pair of vertically disposed cables in diametrically opposed positions in a well, meansfor anchoring the cables in the bottom of the well, means for anchoring upper ends of the cables at the top of the well and at pointsali-gned with the points where the lower ends are anchored in the bottom of the well, aplurality of vertically disposed tubular cylinders having diametrically opposed longitudinally disposed groovesin outer surfaces thereof and extended throughout the length of the cylinders, and vertically spaced and vertically aligned eyes positioned in the grooves and spaced inwardly from ends of the cylinders, said eyes having shanks extended throughv walls of the cylinders and having heads on their inner ends positioned in openings extended from the grooves to the inner surfaces of the cylinders, the heads of the shanks being nested in enlarged recesses in inner surfaces of the walls of the cylinders and extended around the inner ends of the open- 5 ings extended from the grooves in the outer surfaces thereof, the cables being disposed through the eyes and nested in the grooves whereby the cables are protected and not subject to be pinched or broken by the cylinders rubbing against the well wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A WELL CASING ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A PAIR OF VERTICALLY DISPOSED CABLES IN DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED POSITIONS IN A WELL, MEANS FOR ANCHORING THE CABLES IN THE BOTTOM OF THE WELL, MEANS FOR ANCHORING UPPER ENDS OF THE CABLES AT THE TOP OF THE WELL AND AT POINTS ALIGNED WITH THE POINTS WHERE THE LOWER ENDS ARE ANCHORED IN THE BOTTOM OF THE WELL, A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY DISPOSED TUBULAR CYLINDERS HAVING INNER AND OUTER SURFACES AND HAVING CONTINUOUS LONGITUDINALLY DISPOSED AND DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE GROOVES IN THE OUTER SURFACES OF THE WELL CASING AND POSITIONED BETWEEN THE CABLES, AND VERTICALLY SPACED AND VERTICALLY ALIGNED EYES MOUNTED IN THE CYLINDERS AND POSITIONED IN THE GROOVES, THE EYES BEING SPACED INWARDLY FROM THE ENDS OF THE CYLINDERS AND THE CABLES BEING DISPOSED THROUGH THE EYES AND POSITIONED IN THE GROOVES WHEREBY THE CABLES ARE NOT SUBJECT TO BEING PINCHED OR BROKEN BY THE CYLINDERS RUBBING AGAINST THE WELL WALL. 